Marin County Health Officials Urge Measles Vaccine

MARIN COUNTY, CA — With reports of measles cases rising all over the country and resulting in two deaths, Marin County is urging people to get vaccinated regardless if they had contact with it, or they never had it as a child.

The Marin County Department of Health and Human Services has reported five cases of measles in California, as of March 11. As of March 14, over 300 cases of measles have been reported nationally, and at least one child has died. One of the biggest outbreaks was among unvaccinated children in Texas, the Association of Bay Area Health Officials said.

Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air by respiratory droplets produced from coughing or sneezing. It can cause serious illness or death, but is easily avoidable with a vaccination.

Everyone with a child at home between 12 months to 3 years of age is urged to make sure the child is vaccinated with one dose of the MMR vaccine, or the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. Health officials in Marin County said that children ages 4 and over should be vaccinated with two doses of it.

The double dose is 97% effective in preventing measles, according to the American Medical Association.

The measles virus can linger in indoor air for several hours. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis, and the appearance of a rash. About 20% of those who are unvaccinated who get measles will end up hospitalized, and nearly one to three of every 1,000 children who become infected will die from respiratory and neurologic complications, according to the U.S. Centers For Disease Control.

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